Tag Archives: CSI

Forensics: Focus on bitemark beliefs and “The Syndrome”

While spending nearly a full May 5th springtime time day listening to the “Country Dentist” Dr Michael West lavish a Mississippi courtroom with his god-like powers of forensic observation aided by a blue light flashlight, I began to reflect on … Continue reading

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Taking a look at forensic science fakery – The Country Dentist

Lets get real, the connection between rigorous multiple studies in forensic science and what is done “in the field” can be described as inconsistently applied. Ive been exposed to a single Journal of Forensic Science article from 1984 that was … Continue reading

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A rather chilling example of public drug-testing bills racing past forensic testing

A decidedly poor application of  “forensic science” in the courts strikes again. Its obvious that legalizing pot in some states has taken criminalizing pot possession off their books and created a less than measured approach dealing with DUI stops. Multiple … Continue reading

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Back and forth in court about raising technical instrumentation ballistic standards

  Does this picture have J. Edgar Hoover and Shirley Temple doing a bullet comp? A prosecutor takes exception to a defense ballistics guy saying higher definition imaging improves accuracy in bullet and rifling comparisons. The guy states that crime labs … Continue reading

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UK Cabinet’s new administraton of forensic sciences seems incomplete or worse?

All I can glean from scant web info is that its full speed ahead for the Forensic Science Regulator (actually a good idea in theory) oversight to become law but she doesn’t get any “enforcement control ( among other issues) and … Continue reading

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Forensics: National Inst of Justice training webinars

Controlled Substances & Toxicology Focus on DNA Sequencing IPE & Trace Evidence Postmortem Interval & Molecular Autopsy

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The nature of DNA exonerations are changing

The National Registry of Exonerations just published data on the various crime types of cases where exonerations occur. DNA exonerations no longer occur primarily in rape cases, but in homicides, including many rape-murder cases. In addition, the number of DNA … Continue reading

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Better news from within the American Brd of Forensic Odontology bitemark scandal

  This is a short story but its carries an important metaphor about the “forensic science “reform” process rocketing through the media and courtrooms in the US and the UK. A pertinent question I have is “how does the our legal … Continue reading

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More problems with the US Medical Examiners System – Underfunding

Death investigation within Medical Examiner/Coroner system has always been the most underfunded in the Law Enforcement Organization (LEO) systems. The numbers of boarded med path people is seriously declining. Working in such conditions certainly does not create much enthusiasm despite … Continue reading

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Forensics: Forensic Pathology study on skin injury patterns shows lack of agreement

Published in the Apr 15 2016 Journal of Forensic Sciences, this paper are the results of a NAME (US medical examiners) online study of human skin injury pattern diagnostic categories ( the basics of “blunt,” “sharp,” and “source” identification) undertaken … Continue reading

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